Captain

Character playbook
CAPTAIN
The captain uses class features to let one player play two characters at once.
Roleplaying games are unique in focusing on a single character, in contrast
to their direct ancestors: fantasy wargames of the time like Chainmail,
Tékumel, and White Bear and Red Moon. Recapture some of that multi-
character tactical wargame magic while opening up your own roleplay
possibilities through the relationship between character and cohort.
Ability Scores
Your six ability scores define your character’s strengths and weaknesses,
and are the primary way you interact with the game world. To determine
your ability scores, roll 4d6; ignore the lowest die, and record the total
of the other three on scratch paper. Do this five more times, then assign
one of the numbers to each of your six ability scores. For a captain, your
highest ability score should be Charisma, followed by Strength.
If you’d prefer not to take the time to roll, or if you’re uncomfortable
with a random result, you can use the following default array of ability
scores for your captain:
Strength – 14 Intelligence – 8
Dexterity – 11 Wisdom – 12
Constitution – 12 Charisma – 15
Remember an ability score is entered on your sheet separate from your
ability score modifier, which is determined by the following formula:
Ability score modifier = (ability score − 10) / 2, rounded down
A captain with a Charisma score of 15 would have a Charisma modifier of
+2.
Race
Force of will is the waystone that most dragonborn and half-elves follow
on their path through life. Those with strong personalities and strong
bodies make excellent captains. Roll on the table below to determine your
race, or choose one, and follow the guides to create your captain:

d20 Race Description

1–10 Dragonborn Heir to the grace and power of magic’s apex
predators
11–20 Half-Elf Uneasy in human and elven societies, half-elves
make their own way

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Dragonborn
Standing head and shoulders above most humans with weight to match,
dragonborn can be a conspicuous landmark on a crowded battlefield. Their
scales often match the color or metallic shade of their draconic ancestry,
from which they can call up a mighty breath weapon. This build will use a
bronze dragonborn.
ABILITY SCORE INCREASE
Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by
1. Using the standard array above, this brings your Strength and Charisma
modifiers to +3. Information presented below will use these bonuses.
SPEED
30 feet is your base walking speed. Write it in the Speed box.
SIZE
Your size is Medium. Write this in the Size box.
TOOLS, LANGUAGES, SENSES
Enter the following information in this section:
Languages: Common and Draconic You can speak, read, and
write these languages.
RACIAL TRAITS
Your captain has the following traits based on their dragonborn race; add
these to the Racial Traits section.
Damage Resistance. Half damage from lightning. When you take
lightning damage, the physiology of your dragon ancestor allows you
to reduce the damage taken by half (rounded down).
Breath Weapon. (once per rest) Creatures in a line 5 ft. wide
and 30 ft. long make a Dex. save, DC 11; 2d6 lightning
damage or half on a successful save. The Difficulty Class (DC)
for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your
proficiency bonus, and increases as you level up.
After you use your breath weapon, you must finish a short or long
rest before you can use it again.

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Half-Elf
Half-elves are fey-touched, carrying echoes of a world where guile and
style are equally important for a long and healthy life.
ABILITY SCORE INCREASE
Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your
choice increase by 1. Choose Strength and Dexterity for a quick build.
Using the default array above brings your Dexterity modifier to +1, and
your Charisma modifier to +3.
SPEED
30 feet is your base walking speed. Write it in the Speed box.
SIZE
Your size is Medium. Write this in the Size box.
TOOLS, LANGUAGES, SENSES
Enter the following information in this section:
Languages: Common, Elvish, and Dwarvish You can speak, read,
and write these languages.
Senses: Darkvision, 60 feet Within this range, you can see in darkness
as if it were dim light.
RACIAL TRAITS
Your captain has the following traits based on their half-elf race; add these
to the Racial Traits section.
Fey Ancestry. Adv. on saving throws against being charmed,
and magic can’t put you to sleep You have advantage on these
saving throws, which means you roll twice and take the higher result.
Draw a little heart next to your saving throws to remind you of this trait!
Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, in
addition to those provided by your class and background. Acrobatics
and Deception are excellent choices for your half-elf captain; fill in
these circles in the Skills section of your character sheet.

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Hit Points
Your hit points (HP) are an abstraction of your ability to suffer setbacks
and continue adventuring; you could also call them “heroism points.” Your
HP maximum is determined by your class’ hit die (captains use a d8) and
your Constitution modifier. At first level, you take the maximum roll of
the die and your Constitution modifier. Your dragonborn captain has 9 hit
points; enter this in the Max Hit Points section of your character sheet.
You have a number of 1d8 Hit Dice equal to your character’s level.
Write this in the Hit Dice section of your character sheet. As you gain
levels, you gain additional Hit Dice. You can spend these dice when you
take a short rest to regain hit points.
Skills
Your “bonus” to ability checks is the same as your modifier for the ability
score listed in parentheses. Enter the relevant ability score modifier in the
underlined space next to the skill name.
For skills in which you are proficient, you also add your proficiency
bonus. This increases as you level up. In the Skills section of your
character sheet, fill in the circle to indicate your captain is proficient in
History and Intimidation, or select two skills of your choice from the
class’ skill list:
• Animal Handling • History • Perception
• Athletics • Insight • Persuasion
• Deception • Intimidation
For these skills, add your proficiency bonus to the total. For example, your 1st
level dragonborn captain has a bonus to Charisma (Persuasion) checks of +5.
Saving Throws
Saving throws modify your character’s reactions to certain events in the
world like spells, traps, or surprise cavalry charges. Just like ability checks,
some saving throws add your proficiency bonus. In the Saving Throws
section of your character sheet, fill in the circle to indicate your captain
is proficient in Constitution and Charisma saving throws. A 1st level
dragonborn captain would have the following bonuses:
• Strength: +3 • Constitution: +3 • Wisdom: +1
• Dexterity: +0 • Intelligence: -1 • Charisma: +5

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Initiative
When you start combat, your Dexterity determines how quickly you act.
For a dragonborn captain, write +0 in the Initiative box on your character
sheet.
Proficiencies
This section indicates the proficiencies provided by your class. Fill in the
bubbles for Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons,
and Martial Weapons.
The Proficiency Bonus box next to your ability scores scales with your
level and is shown in the class features table of the captain class. At level 1,
enter +2 in this box. The bonus increases by 1 every four levels you gain in
any class.
Class Features
At 1st level, you are already a competent leader and fighter. Add the text
of the choices below to the Class Features box of your character sheet to
build your captain quickly.
Born Leader. Adv. on any Persuasion check to take charge or
give orders in danger. Use Charisma instead of Intelligence
for planning, strategy, or tactics. Skills usually have ability
scores assigned to them, such as Charisma (Persuasion). If the GM
calls for an Intelligence (History) check to remember the strategy used
in a famous battle on similar terrain, for example, you can make a
Charisma (History) check instead and roll +5. Additionally, you may
roll two dice instead of one, and take the higher of the two rolls.
Fighting Style - Defense: +1 to AC while wearing armor. You
can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get
to choose again. This bonus is included in the Armor section below.

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Weapons
Your dragonborn captain starts with a longsword and a five javelins. Both
weapons add your Strength modifier and your proficiency bonus to their
attack rolls, and your Strength modifier to their damage rolls. Enter the
following information in the central Attacks section of your character
sheet:

Attack
Weapon Bonus Damage Properties
Longsword +5 1d8 + 3 slashing Versatile (1d10 + 3 damage if
wielded in two hands)
Javelin +5 1d6 + 3 piercing Thrown (range 30/120)

Armor
Your class comes with scale mail, perhaps made with some dragon hide.
While wearing this armor, your Armor Class (AC) is 14 + your Dexterity
modifier. You also add +1 because of your Defense fighting style. Enter 15
in the shield-shaped Armor Class section of your character sheet.
Inventory
Add this starting equipment to the Inventory section of your character
sheet:
• Navigator’s tools
• Scale mail
• Longsword
• Five javelins
• A dagger
• An embroidered standard

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BACKGROUND
Your background asks, “What did you do before you were called to become
an adventurer?” For your captain, you likely held a position of authority
that taught you the skills of command, and this background lends you
some insight into how you choose to lead, how you treat your followers,
and how you give orders. There are also some mechanical benefits to the
time spent in this way. It helps to think of it as a series of questions.
What do you look like?
Think of 1 to 3 important physical details other players can use to visualize
your character as you play. Your bronze dragonborn’s scales might be
tarnished to a dull brown by the salt water of the ocean. Or perhaps they
hang their banner from their horns so that it flies visibly behind them in
battle.
What do you sound like?
You don’t have to be a voice actor or do accents to have a memorable
character voice. Think in terms of pitch, rate, volume, rhythm, or timbre.
Maybe your dragonborn captain has a low, rumbly voice that rattles the
windows. Or perhaps they have a habit of blowing smoke from their
nostrils when thinking.
What did you do?
Your previous leadership role provides certain mechanical benefits and
personality traits to guide your roleplay. You can choose a prewritten
background or create your own, gaining the following features: Fill in
the bubbles next to Perception and Survival in the Skills section of your
character sheet. In Tools, Languages, and Senses, add proficiencies with
navigator’s tools and vehicles (water). Additionally, add the following
items to your Inventory:
• Belaying pin (club)
• 50 feet of hempen rope
• Bucket
• Set of winter clothes

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Roll on the following table, or choose one of the options to determine your
previous occupation:

d8 Background
1 I was a privateer on the high seas.
2 I held rank in a local noble’s army.
3 I was the leading man in a renowned band of entertainers.
4 I led a group of bandits along a forest road.
5 I tutored a noble’s son in the history of warfare and combat.
6 I shepherded the creatures and caretakers in a wizard’s menagerie.
7 I built the first home in a frontier town.
8 I taught a martial discipline to a group of aspiring students.

How do you do it?

These are your personality traits, they help you determine the answers or
solutions you will tend to choose if possible. Roll on the following table, or
choose from the options:

d8 Personality Trait
1 I enter every room like it’s the first time anyone’s seen me.
2 I’ve never seen a monster I didn’t think was fascinating.
3 Everything reminds me of a story from my glory days.
4 I make the most of life’s joys—you never know which day will be your
last.
5 I am most comfortable when there’s a place for everything and
everything is in its place.
6 A good old-fashioned brawl is the simplest way to solve problems.
7 Violence is a last resort; most problems can be solved with honest
conversation.
8 I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, even when I don’t
have to.

What do you want?

These are your “bonds” that motivate you toward or away from certain
things. Roll on the following table, or choose one of the options:

d6 Bond
1 I put the welfare of my friends above my own.
2 I robbed a noble house to support the poor. There’s still a bounty on
my head for it.

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 3 I fought with rebels against an oppressive regime; we lost. My former
rank is a liability.
4 I was given a revelation of a coming apocalypse, and I must gather an
army to oppose it.
5 I must spread my system of martial combat to new students, who will
then spread it to their students.
6 A dying comrade gave me a task to complete on their behalf; I do it to
honor his sacrifice.

Why do you want it?

These are your “ideals”, the guiding principles for your choices, and tend
to reflect your alignment. Roll on the following table, or choose one of the
options:

d6 Ideal
1 Glory. All who see my banner should know it and flock to it. (Chaotic)
2 Hierarchy. The chain of command must remain unbroken; that’s how
work gets done. (Lawful)
3 Equality. I’d never ask a soldier to do something I wouldn’t do myself.
(Good)
4 Peace. The less conflict in the world, the better. (Good)
5 Justice. You reap what you sow—I make sure of that. (Neutral)
6 Dominance. My way is the right way, no matter what you say. (Evil)

What gets in your way?

These are your “flaws”, or the reasons you might make choices that hold
you back or keep you from your goals. Roll on the following table, or
choose one of the options:

d6 Flaw
1 I will not let stand any insult to my honor, no matter how slight.
2 My loyalties go to the highest bidder, and change easily.
3 I never engage an opponent without carefully making sure they
understand the rules of engagement.
4 I don’t see the point of being polite to anyone, no matter their social
station.
5 I never do a good deed without an audience.
6 I’m brutally honest with people, no matter how it makes them feel.

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 LEVELING UP
As you gain levels in the captain class, you unlock additional features—and
additional people—to add to your character sheet.
Leveling Up to 2nd Level
At 2nd level, you gain an additional d8 hit die and your hit point
maximum increases by 1d8 + 1 (6); add this to your maximum hit point
total.
COHORT
You also gain the feature that sets the captain apart from other
martial classes: the Cohort. The cohort is a second character you play
simultaneously with your captain. The cohort has a stat block rather than a
character sheet, but their abilities also improve as you level up. Your cohort
obeys your commands as best they can and takes their turn immediately
before or after yours (your choice). If you are incapacitated or absent, your
companion acts on their own.
At 2nd level, select one of the cohort stat blocks listed in the full class
description: abbot, berserker, champion, construct, cultist, hunter, mage,
stalker, templar, or undead. You select the cohort’s race, though that choice
doesn’t provide any additional abilities not listed in the stat block. The
stalker is a good choice for the bronze dragonborn build presented here.
You initiate your cohort into your service over the course of 8 hours.
From then on, you control both characters and their relationship forms the
bulk of the class’ gameplay. Together, you and the GM create the cohort’s
personality: your GM chooses a personality trait and flaw, and their bond
is always “I will follow my commander into any fray, and I will gladly fight
by his/her side until my death.” You decide everything else about your
cohort.
Here’s an example of what you might create:
A halfling stalker takes your side in the barfight that seems
inevitable when you go out drinking for the night. Your
shining bronze scales and bellowing dragonborn breath
were the perfect mirror to their roguish fighting tactics,
making you a terribly effective duo. You later learn you
were once part of the same defeated militia, and the stalker
joins your quest for revenge on the corrupt military that
defeated both of you.

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STALKER
MEDIUM HUMANOID (ANY RACE), ANY ALIGNMENT
Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d8)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 (−1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)

Skills Acrobatics +4, Stealth +4

Saving Throws Dex +4, Int +3
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages any one language (usually Common)
CHALLENGE
1/4 (50 XP)
Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the stalker can use a bonus action to
take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The stalker deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when
it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack
roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the stalker that isn't
incapacitated and the stalker doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

ACTIONS
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

The cohort’s abilities and statistics improve as you gain levels in this class.
COHORT HIT POINTS
For each captain level you gain after 2nd, your cohort gains an additional
hit die and increases their hit points accordingly.

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 Leveling Up to 3rd Level
At 3rd level, you gain an additional d8 hit die and your captain’s maximum
hit points increase by 1d8 + 1 (6), and your cohort’s maximum hit points
increase by 5; add these numbers to your maximum hit point totals.
BATTLE DICE
You gain a pool of 2 battle dice, which are d8s that you expend to power
special combat maneuvers. Keep track of these dice using the Ability Uses
section of your character sheet. You regain these dice whenever you roll for
initiative, so use them often!
You have four maneuvers total, three from your War Tactics feature
and one comes from your Banner, which is your captain subclass. This
guide uses the Lion banner. Add the following to your Class Features:
Brace. Bonus action - Each ally within 30 feet that can see or
hear you adds the battle die to all saving throws it makes
until the end of your next turn.
Rally. Bonus action - expend a battle die. One ally within
60 feet that can see or hear you regains 1d8 + 3 HP. The
amount of hp is the die rolled + your Charisma modifier, so the
number will change as that ability score improves. You cannot use this
maneuver to heal a creature who has 0 hit points.
Staggering Strike. Bonus action when you make a weapon
attack against a creature - expend a battle die. If you hit,
the creature must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw
or be incapacitated. The effect lasts until the beginning of your next
turn. The DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma
modifier, and will increase as you level up.
Maneuver: Lion´s Challenge. Bonus action: When you hit with a
weapon attack, expend a battle die. The target has disadv.
on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the
end of your next turn The target has disadvantage on attacks
against targets other than you, which means they roll twice and take
the lower result! Use this maneuver to keep your allies safe from harm.

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